Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Mecca Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Mecca

😐 Solo nomad: Riyadh is 13.4% more expensive than Mecca without rent, and 68.4% more expensive with rent.
😐 Family of 3: Riyadh is 22.2% more expensive than Mecca without rent, and 18.5% more expensive with rent.
Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.12 SAR 30.47
$4.72 SAR 17.69
72.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$53.2 SAR 199
$40.41 SAR 152
31.53%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.1 SAR 30.38
$9.54 SAR 35.79
-15.09%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$1.78 SAR 6.66
$1.62 SAR 6.07
9.88%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.23 SAR 8.35
$1.58 SAR 5.93
41.14%
Cappuccino
$4.06 SAR 15.23
$3.29 SAR 12.33
23.40%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.72 SAR 2.71
$0.9 SAR 3.38
-20.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.29 SAR 1.08
$0.29 SAR 1.08
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.7 SAR 6.38
$1.65 SAR 6.2
3.03%
White Bread (500g)
$1.31 SAR 4.92
$0.83 SAR 3.11
57.83%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.37 SAR 8.87
$2.25 SAR 8.43
5.33%
Eggs
$2.63 SAR 9.86
$2.98 SAR 11.17
-11.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.31 SAR 31.16
$7.08 SAR 26.57
17.37%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.9 SAR 37.13
$8.61 SAR 32.29
14.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.74 SAR 55.3
$13.46 SAR 50.5
9.51%
Apples (1kg)
$2.24 SAR 8.4
$2.33 SAR 8.75
-3.86%
Banana (1kg)
$1.75 SAR 6.58
$1.61 SAR 6.06
8.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.87 SAR 7.02
$1.85 SAR 6.95
1.08%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.57 SAR 5.91
$2.12 SAR 7.97
-25.94%
Potato (1kg)
$1.29 SAR 4.84
$1.26 SAR 4.73
2.38%
Onion (1kg)
$1.46 SAR 5.48
$1.2 SAR 4.5
21.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.39 SAR 5.21
$1.1 SAR 4.11
26.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 SAR 1.93
$0.65 SAR 2.43
-21.54%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
$9.47 SAR 35.52
$3.93 SAR 14.76
140.97%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 SAR 6.7
$1.93 SAR 7.24
-7.25%
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.34 SAR 8.79
$2.18 SAR 8.19
7.34%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$7.19 SAR 26.95
$7.93 SAR 29.73
-9.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.09 SAR 4.09
$1.36 SAR 5.12
-19.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$36.56 SAR 137
$40.75 SAR 153
-10.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.17 SAR 11.91
$2.36 SAR 8.84
34.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.81 SAR 6.81
$1.84 SAR 6.88
-1.63%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.18 SAR 49.46
$10.79 SAR 40.47
22.15%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.64 SAR 2.4
$0.64 SAR 2.4
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.8K SAR 130.6K
$26.3K SAR 98.8K
32.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$23.3K SAR 87.5K
$21.1K SAR 79.2K
10.49%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$106 SAR 396
$75.5 SAR 283
39.86%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.22 SAR 128
$34.31 SAR 129
-0.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.1 SAR 282
$67.9 SAR 255
10.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$107 SAR 400
$84.8 SAR 318
25.78%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$58.4 SAR 219
$34.72 SAR 130
68.15%
Cinema Ticket
$15.84 SAR 59.4
$18.97 SAR 71.2
-16.50%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$456 SAR 1,711
$392 SAR 1,472
16.25%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$9,612 SAR 36.1K
$4,602 SAR 17.3K
108.86%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60 SAR 225
$22.68 SAR 85.1
164.68%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$63.8 SAR 239
$62.6 SAR 235
1.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$106 SAR 398
$59.3 SAR 222
78.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$98.1 SAR 368
$51.2 SAR 192
91.75%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,087 SAR 4,076
$233 SAR 873
366.98%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$846 SAR 3,174
$285 SAR 1,070
196.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,086 SAR 7,824
$668 SAR 2,507
212.09%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,109 SAR 4,161
$1,028 SAR 3,855
7.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,875 SAR 10.8K
$1,535 SAR 5,759
87.32%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,189 SAR 8,211
$1,193 SAR 4,474
83.52%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Riyadh
Mecca
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,465 SAR 9,246
$1,332 SAR 4,997
85.02%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5.31
5.5
-3.45%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Riyadh: October 28, 2025

Last update for Mecca: October 27, 2025

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